Strictly Confidential. Terri Reed

She was confident that as an FBI agent, he would know what to do. Her brothers had arrived within the hour with a lawyer in tow.

      They’d agreed to tell their parents after they had Colleen released. A terrific idea as far as she was concerned. Frank Montgomery would chew some hide inside and out as it was when he found out that Colleen had been arrested. At least this way they could protect Sam and Becca until Frank cooled down.

      “That’s what big brothers are for.” Jake shrugged and grinned while adjusting his conservative red tie. He dressed the role of FBI agent nicely in a navy suit and black wingtip shoes. “Getting our little sister out of scrapes is what we do.”

      “I don’t think this qualifies as a scrape,” Adam said, concern clouding his eyes. As a doctor, Adam dressed more casually in tan pants and an oxford dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

      “You’re right,” Jake agreed, his expression turning somber. “This was a frame. Someone’s out to get you.”

      Colleen frowned. “Who? Why? That doesn’t make any sense.” Though deep inside, a nagging feeling that they were right clamored for her attention.

      Obviously someone disliked her enough to want to implicate her in Neil’s death. Her reporter’s brain raced toward possible reasons why someone would be out to get her.

      Could her suppositions that the hospital fire, the Montgomery Construction fire and the Double V Ranch fire were all somehow connected be on track? The timing of the fires had been way too coincidental and too specific to the Vance and Montgomery families. Had her report on the recent increase in drug activity since the mayor’s shooting stirred some hornet’s nest? But whose? The mysterious El Jefe , who reportedly had been contacting Escalante’s old contacts? No one seemed to be able to identify the new would-be drug lord in town.

      “I should have remembered to pick up my scarf when I left last night,” she mused.

      “Hey, don’t beat yourself up for something you had no control over,” Jake said.

      The door to the small windowless, mirrored room opened and Craig Smith, her lawyer, walked in. His pinstripe suit and shiny black shoes made him look professional, but his youthful face made Colleen jittery. She only hoped her brother was right when he’d assured her that, though Craig was young, he was good.

      Pushing up the wire-rimmed glasses that seemed to constantly be sliding down his straight nose, Craig said, “I’ve had a talk with the D.A. and he agrees that the evidence they have isn’t enough to charge you with Neil O’Brien’s murder.”

      “So I can go?” Colleen asked.

      She couldn’t wait to get home and start working on the O’Brien case. And continue her research on Alessandro, the latter for purely professional reasons. It had nothing to do with the fact that the Italian man intrigued her. She had to stay objective and report just the facts, no matter what her own personal feelings were.

      Which, where Alessandro was concerned, were confusing.

      She liked him, yet didn’t completely trust him. But not for any real reason—she’d exonerated him in her mind from the attempt on Mayor Max’s life—but she knew he was keeping secrets.

      Anyone who kept their own child a secret had to be involved in something sketchy.

      Craig said, “Yes. I would advise you not to leave town, because at the moment, you’re considered a ‘person of interest’ in the case.”

      “I don’t have any plans to go anywhere.” Colleen marched past the men and headed out the door.

      Behind her she heard her brothers thanking Craig, but her gaze was captured by the tall man standing at the end of the hall, talking with Sam. Her heart plummeted. Oh, no.

      She hurried toward the two men. “Sam, you can’t think Alessandro had anything to do with Neil’s death?” she exclaimed as she skidded to a halt.

      The tender smile she received from Alessandro sent her heartbeat into overdrive. “No worries, cara .”

      Sam snorted. “The man came to say you had nothing to do with Neil’s murder.”

      Colleen blinked. “Really?”

      Warmth gushed through her like water from a broken dam. She didn’t know what to think of Alessandro’s chivalrous actions. She gazed up at him, looked deep into his dark eyes, and for a moment the buzz of the police station dimmed.

      “Thank you,” she murmured.

      He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before shifting his gaze past her, effectively breaking the mesmerizing hold he’d had on her and leaving her slightly off balance.

      “What’s he doing here?” Adam demanded from behind her.

      Colleen rolled her eyes and grimaced. Her brothers were doing the he-man routine again.

      “Believe it or not, he came to defend your sister,” Sam stated, clearly enjoying Colleen’s discomfort, if the smirk he gave her was any indication.

      Heat crept up her neck. She could just imagine the expressions on her brothers’ faces. She didn’t want to turn around and see the incredulity or the skepticism.

      They would never believe Alessandro had come because he cared about her. Come to think of it, she didn’t believe he’d come for that reason, either. So why had he?

      That was a question she was determined to answer. Along with several others. But first she had to get out of here and away from the stifling, protective cover of her family. “Alessandro, would you be willing to give me a ride home?”

      “What!” Jake and Adam both exclaimed.

      Colleen kept her back to her brothers and waited for Alessandro to respond. His dark eyebrows rose slightly as his gaze shifted back to her.

      She held her breath, hoping he’d say yes and wondering how she’d live down the embarrassment if he said no.

       FOUR

       M amma mia! He’d stepped in a minefield by coming to the police station. But Alessandro couldn’t seem to muster up enough panic as Colleen’s blue eyes bored into his. He knew if he agreed to take her home, he’d alienate her brothers even more. And his cousin.

      But it would sustain his cover as the playboy accountant.

      Besides, he sensed there was more going on here than a simple ride. She obviously had something to prove to her brothers and if he could accommodate her, so be it.

      It wasn’t as though he had any romantic feelings, despite his admiration of her. He had no plans to go down that particular path again.

       “Bella?” Alessandro offered her his arm.

      Relief shone bright in her gaze. She slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Thank you.”

      She turned to her brothers. “I’ll talk with you later.”

      “You can’t leave with him,” Jake sputtered.

      “See ya.” She tugged at Alessandro’s arm as she moved forward.

      Amused, Alessandro could only give the three men glaring at him a shrug that said “What can I say? She wants me.” “Ciao.”

      “Colleen Montgomery, you come back here,” Adam demanded.

      Colleen’s steps quickened and Alessandro lengthened his stride. “ Bella , I think you’ve made your brothers angry.”

      “They’ll get over it,” she said as he pushed open the glass doors for her. She didn’t let go of his arm as they stepped into the sunshine. “Where’s your car?”

      “There.” He pointed to the small red convertible parked at the curb.

      Her eyes widened and then she grinned. “Cool.”

      “You